How To: Emerge from Hibernation with Fresh Breath

As the ice thaws and the birds begin to chirp, we emerge from our man caves and venture into the sunlight. Unlike male bears, we male humans don’t lose 15 to 30 percent of our body weight during a 100-day winter cave slumber. More likely: We emerge from our Dorito-crumb-strewn nests with a spare tires of comfort food around our waists. It’s going to take a few months to work that off (though a good place to start is Joey Gonzalez’s perfect plank, which doesn’t even require you to leave the snack-strewn house). So we suggest starting with a bit of personal improvement where you can see results right away: Freshen your hibernation breath. Here’s how.

Dental Care

Bacteria is a big cause of bad breath, so flossing your teeth and giving them a good brush will go a long way. Hopefully you’re already on top of that.

Drink Up

Keeping your mouth as moist as possible will wash away food particles and bacteria. We salivate less while were asleep, which allows bacteria to breed. As the Mayo Clinic notes: “If your 'morning breath' seems to last all day, you may not be drinking enough water.”

Get Chewin’

Chewing gum can be effective against sleep breath. Try one sweetened with xylitol, which inhibits mouth bacteria.

Topical Treatment

In addition to good dental hygiene, a fresh and minty lip balm gatekeeper for your kisser can work wonders. Try a lip balm with a menthol kick. Of course, you can’t just put lipstick on a pig (or bear) but if you’re keeping up with your dental hygiene, this is the best way to top it off.